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Complete Numbness-tingling on left side..please helppppp!!!!
Hello I hope and pray that there is some out here that can help me..Over 30 days ago I took a nap on a normal day and woke up with numbness on my left side it felt as tho my arm and legs, feet on left side had gone to sleep however they never woke up. I tried to sleep it off that night but decided to go to the er the following am..they admitted me for fear that i had had a stroke and kept me for about 5 days. Mt neurologist stated that i had a million dollar work up..they did mri's,ct's,spinal tap and loottsss of blood work and they all came back fine. I am still have the numbness-tingling to this day on my left side only including face and I have what i call episodes where it feels like under my skin is aching sharp-dull and nothing that i take causes the pain to go away it has to fade on its own, however when i have these episodes it makes me weak on my left side causing me to limp, not use my arm to much etc..the neuro says he doesnt think it was a stroke all test have come back fine I also had a brain study which was normal hoever I am still numb and taking a med lyrica which does not help..I know that this is not in my mind i wanted to know if anyone else out there has had a similar problem or can give me any help as to what other test to have the doc run, or what this may be or could be..i am 28 years of age and w/o this i am 100/% healthy..this came on suddenly and has not moved itself..plse help me with any advice possible..thanks
If the doctors have ruled out a stroke, it is possible you are having some kind of seizure. You can have numbness on one side of the body with a seizure, though I don't know how usual that is. Did they do an EEG in your work-up as well? If I were you I would ask your doctor about that possibility and type in seizure/numbness on your own and see what you come up with. I know somebody who has had seizures (although he is aware he is having them-falls to the floor) and also has numbness along with it; not sure if it's from head to toe and unilateral in his case, though, but I believe that is possible. Good luck to you.
did you happen to get vaccinated or gone through some kind of trauma before this started happening? Just wondering, cuz I had the same symptoms and I dont know if related, but they started after I got my flu vaccine. They lasted about 6 weeks, but I'm better now. after a normal workup, doctor told me it could be some kind of viral affect, which typically lasts a couple months, and fades.
thanks for responding..while in the hospital one doctor did say that it could be possilbe that i am having some type of seizures..however the neurologist im seeing now did not mention it..is the eeg where they place all those things on your head?if so yes ive done that and it has come back normal.. i have not had anytype of vacc or shot..and 33 days im still having the numbness allll day..thanks for your time..and i will do the search on seizures/numbness...
Yes, the EEG is where they place all the wires on your head, but from what I have read on the other board (doctor-patient forum), the doctos say it doesn't always (or even usually?) pick up anything and sometimes an overnight stay with EEG is required to see if any seizure activity is taking place. The person I know who has seizues said he has numbness all the time, so it's not just when he had the seizures. Anyway, it is worth checking into.
Annie you are so right..alot of people have asked me if I have had a sleep study done or why didnt they do the test overnight and to answer that I have no idea..I also did teh evoc today in which it test the optical nerves in your eyes,ears and spinal cord so we will see what that reveals..i have a follow up with the doc in two weeks and I will be sure to ask him about the seizures..do you know or can you find out what type of med they put your friend on to prevent the seizures, and what did they say is causing it, and are they numb on just one side or the entire body..thanks so much again for checking in and responding at least I know this thing is not in my mind..
Wiseone,
Actually it is a neighbor (not really a friend) that has the seizures and numbness, and I don't know whether it is on one or both sides of his body. He did tell me he has it all the time. Don't know what meds he is on for it, though he told me he was on Neurontin for pain. I would mention to your doctor about an overnight EEG study just to see if he thinks seizures are possible.
I also read your post on the doctor-patient forum and it looks like they are possibly working you up for MS if they are doing evoked potentials. It sounds like your doctor/neurologist is doing the right thing and really looking for the cause. Can't remember if you said you had an MRI brain/C-spine done, but even if they are negative one can still have MS, though usually lesions do show up on MRI eventually. The evoked potentials can pick up problems/lesions that sometimes can't be seen on MRI.
Whatever happens--if results are still negative--don't give up looking for the cause of your numbness and other symptoms. You know you are not crazy--you don't need doctors to tell you that--and the worst thing you could possibly do to yourself is let someone convince that you are or to not continue to pursue a diagnosis, especially if it turns out to be something serious and/or something treatable, as not treating it means more time for the disease to do damage to your body. Not only will you still be left with your very real illness (the ones doctors thought was psychosomatic)--whatever it turns out to be--but you will also be left with a worse prognosis, and that is something you do not want or deserve. Trust me on that one. Let me know what you find out from the evoked potentials.
Actually it is a neighbor (not really a friend) that has the seizures and numbness, and I don't know whether it is on one or both sides of his body. He did tell me he has it all the time. Don't know what meds he is on for it, though he told me he was on Neurontin for pain. I would mention to your doctor about an overnight EEG study just to see if he thinks seizures are possible.
I also read your post on the doctor-patient forum and it looks like they are possibly working you up for MS if they are doing evoked potentials. It sounds like your doctor/neurologist is doing the right thing and really looking for the cause. Can't remember if you said you had an MRI brain/C-spine done, but even if they are negative one can still have MS, though usually lesions do show up on MRI eventually. The evoked potentials can pick up problems/lesions that sometimes can't be seen on MRI.
Whatever happens--if results are still negative--don't give up looking for the cause of your numbness and other symptoms. You know you are not crazy--you don't need doctors to tell you that--and the worst thing you could possibly do to yourself is let someone convince that you are or to not continue to pursue a diagnosis, especially if it turns out to be something serious and/or something treatable, as not treating it means more time for the disease to do damage to your body. Not only will you still be left with your very real illness (the ones doctors thought was psychosomatic)--whatever it turns out to be--but you will also be left with a worse prognosis, and that is something you do not want or deserve. Trust me on that one. Let me know what you find out from the evoked potentials.
Thanks again..Yes they initially had me on neurontin but it def wasnt working so that changed it. I did have the mri of the brain and spine and it came back fine. Yes I did post on the other forum to also..I will keep you posted on the Evoc test havent gotten those results yet.Thanks for the encouraging words to not give up, my doc has been great and won't really even tell me what he thinks it could be until the test ae completed he just apoloizes for what Im going through..
I hope you get some answers soon. I'll be looking for your post after you find out about the results of the evoked potentials and also to see what the doctor on the doctor-patient forum has to say. I also have a question in over there (couldn't believe I actually got in after four months of trying), but it is backed up by at least three weeks, so it will be a while before they answer. I am still waiting to hear from Mayo what the results of my tests are (and if they confirm what the neurologist told me she thought I had) from my trip up there last month--I have been sick 13+ years with no answers--, so I definitely know what the waiting to hear/anxiety is like.
Annie the doc called me about the evock test and stated that everything came back fine...I have an appt with him on the 15th, and I have no clue what else he can do to see whats causing the problem. I still have the numbness and I belive the lyrica is helping with the pain flare up however its not removin the numbmess. A few days ago my left side including my tongue went numb. Just wanted to keep you posted and am praying that you as well as I find answers but my wait has been nothing like yours..
Good to hear your evoked potentials were normal. It will be interesting to hear what the CCF doc thinks it might be when you get your question answered. I think I also read on the other forum that someone suggested lyme, which I guess is possible, especially depending on where you live. If it is MS, just remember that the lesions don't always show up on MRI right away (possibly never in some cases?), so having a neg. brain and C-spine MRI does not rule out MS (not suggesting you have it, just that a neg. MRI doesn't rule it out). Some people are dxd from lumbar puncture when MRIs are normal. My cousin has MS and hers presented with optic neuritis (pretty common presentation from what I have read). She was dxd 9 years ago and is doing pretty well apparently.
I still haven't heard from Mayo yet regarding my test results. I was supposed to return for a follow-up appnt. last week but the doctor agreed to write me instead and send a copy of my note to my local doctor (so I wouldn't have to drive all the way back up there). If I don't hear today I am calling them, as they said it would be 10 days-and that was 14 days ago. I did get the statement, though, and saw a lot of the blood work was for antibodies associated with pareneoplastic syndrome (cancer-associated dysautonomia), so that made me kind of nervous, but I have told myself that is highly unlikely since the first sign of clear autonomic dysfunction was almost 17 years ago. Keep me posted and I will do the same. I usually check the board almost every day. It gets my mind off my own problems (kind of, anyway :).
I still haven't heard from Mayo yet regarding my test results. I was supposed to return for a follow-up appnt. last week but the doctor agreed to write me instead and send a copy of my note to my local doctor (so I wouldn't have to drive all the way back up there). If I don't hear today I am calling them, as they said it would be 10 days-and that was 14 days ago. I did get the statement, though, and saw a lot of the blood work was for antibodies associated with pareneoplastic syndrome (cancer-associated dysautonomia), so that made me kind of nervous, but I have told myself that is highly unlikely since the first sign of clear autonomic dysfunction was almost 17 years ago. Keep me posted and I will do the same. I usually check the board almost every day. It gets my mind off my own problems (kind of, anyway :).
hi annie thanx for the reply and sorry for the long delayy..i was placed back in the hospital on this past friday and released yesterday..i wasnt feeling well and went to lay down within 30 min my speech was totally slurred and stil is..they admitted me and did the mri 72 hours later it came back and the doc sayed there was no need to keep me and let me go but something is wrong.i am looking into another hospital, he said i should be able to talk in a few days but we will see not to sure where to go from here things keep happening and they keep happening on the left side just wanted to update you..
Hi wiseone,
I just came across your post. I'm sorry about the slurred speech and having to be put in the hospital. Have your doctors given you any thoughts as to what could be causing your numbness and now the slurred speech, or don't they share that with you? By the way, do you still have the left-sided numbness or has that subsided? If I remember correctly your evoked potentials and MRIs (as well as the one you just had done in the hospital) have all been normal. I'm not a medical person, just a well-read/well-researched layperson, so I can only offer my "two cents" if it's something I've read up on, but if your doctors don't think you are having any type of vascular accident/TIA/stroke,etc., (not sure if that always shows up on brain MRI or not), then have they considered MS in spite of your negative brain MRI? I have had slurred speech in the past, but mine was mild and intermittent (usually made worse with talking a lot) with the exception of one episode where it came on suddenly and was severe (to the point of initially being unable to speak-due to exacerbations of my neuro symptoms I always experienced during ovulation/hormone-related). MS can cause slurred speech but so can a lot of other things (myasthenia gravis, etc.) If you have any other MS-type symptoms (don't know if you do or not), I would not discard the possibility of MS due to negative MRIs. I've had symptoms for 17 years and my MRIs have been negative thus far, but since all my symptoms don't fit in with the picture of autonomic neuropathy that I've been dxd with, the neuro I saw suggested a lumbar puncture to definitively rule in/out MS. Let me know how you're doing and if you find anything else out. And I wouldn't be shy about asking the doctors what they think is causing your numbness and slurred speech. I wasn't nearly assertive enough all these years. You have a right to know what they are thinking; it's your life.
I just came across your post. I'm sorry about the slurred speech and having to be put in the hospital. Have your doctors given you any thoughts as to what could be causing your numbness and now the slurred speech, or don't they share that with you? By the way, do you still have the left-sided numbness or has that subsided? If I remember correctly your evoked potentials and MRIs (as well as the one you just had done in the hospital) have all been normal. I'm not a medical person, just a well-read/well-researched layperson, so I can only offer my "two cents" if it's something I've read up on, but if your doctors don't think you are having any type of vascular accident/TIA/stroke,etc., (not sure if that always shows up on brain MRI or not), then have they considered MS in spite of your negative brain MRI? I have had slurred speech in the past, but mine was mild and intermittent (usually made worse with talking a lot) with the exception of one episode where it came on suddenly and was severe (to the point of initially being unable to speak-due to exacerbations of my neuro symptoms I always experienced during ovulation/hormone-related). MS can cause slurred speech but so can a lot of other things (myasthenia gravis, etc.) If you have any other MS-type symptoms (don't know if you do or not), I would not discard the possibility of MS due to negative MRIs. I've had symptoms for 17 years and my MRIs have been negative thus far, but since all my symptoms don't fit in with the picture of autonomic neuropathy that I've been dxd with, the neuro I saw suggested a lumbar puncture to definitively rule in/out MS. Let me know how you're doing and if you find anything else out. And I wouldn't be shy about asking the doctors what they think is causing your numbness and slurred speech. I wasn't nearly assertive enough all these years. You have a right to know what they are thinking; it's your life.
that is so true..yes i do still have the numbness on left side.the say maybe ms, maybe tumor they dont know they have no clue..yes everything has come back negative but the doc at john hopkins says that doesnt mean anything..please keep me posted i noticed that someone else on forum havin same problem waiting for them to respond.please keep me posted and i will do the same for you my nex appt is friday feb 2nd..
I will keep checking the board, Wiseone, to see if you find anything out at your next neuro appointment. I went back and read your initial post, though, and saw that they did do a lumbar puncture on you when you first got the numbness. I don't know how likely MS is (or if it is even possible) if you had a negative brain MRI, LP and evoked potentials, unless, however, they didn't do a C-spine MRI and possibly something could show up on that.
My C-spine and brain MRI were normal,too, but I never had evoked potentials, and am planning on going for an LP in the next month or so at Mayo. I also have left-sided weakness, arm and leg, (though mild) and tingling/heaviness in arm/leg (no numbness like you, though), and I also had and still get mildly the slurred speech. I will check back to see what you find out. Good luck.
My C-spine and brain MRI were normal,too, but I never had evoked potentials, and am planning on going for an LP in the next month or so at Mayo. I also have left-sided weakness, arm and leg, (though mild) and tingling/heaviness in arm/leg (no numbness like you, though), and I also had and still get mildly the slurred speech. I will check back to see what you find out. Good luck.
Hi, I am a 32 year old female. I have left side tingling, numbness, weekness, a headache on the left side, heart palpitations, chest pain and pressure, dizzyness, blurred vision, trouble sleeping, racing heartbeat and feeling of passing out. This problem has been very severe for 40 days now. I have been to the Emergency Room 7 times. They keep telling me I am fine and sending me home with migrane headache or vertigo. None of the medications they gave me in the hospital helped. I have had tons of bloodwork done testing everything from Lyme Disease, Lupus, Ms etc. I had 2 cat scans of my head. An MRI, MRI with Contrast, and an MRA of my head, and MRI of my neck, and echo cardiogram, 8 ekgs, a 24 hour haltor monitor for my heart, 2 chest x rays, and a catscan with contrast of my heart. My family doctors says it is all stress doing this. No other doctors will even look at me and keep talking to my family doctor that is telling them in need a shrink. My family doctor told me to see a shrink 3 months ago. I did. That doctor put me on 5 mg of Xanax XR a day! The medication did not help and my illness has become more severe. I went back to the famly doctor who told me if the medication was not working I had tobe weaned off of it. Which I did. Now they keep telling me that I am just too stressed out and I need to see a shrink again and they want to put me back on Xanax. I am getting stressed cause no doctor is helping me, they keep telling me physically I am fine, and I dont feel fine!!! Any suggestions??????? All my test results are normal.
Have they checked you for vitamin defficiencies. Some of them can casue crazy neuro problems. B12 for one and I think either Mg or Mn. Worth a shot and just takes a blood test.
Did they test you for Hughes disease (APS)?
Blood test doesnt always come back positive on this.....
Your symptoms point to it.
Lupus can also be missed by tests, ask to be tested again
Andrew
Blood test doesnt always come back positive on this.....
Your symptoms point to it.
Lupus can also be missed by tests, ask to be tested again
Andrew
I have left face numbness too. I had an brain MRI last week and go back in December for those results. I don't think mine could be Hughes because I have had two successful pregnancies and no miscarriages. B12...maybe but don't seem to have a lot of mental issues. Lupus...I don't know...thoughts...my numbness comes and goes...it came back to day with a venegence...I am keeping track on my calendar when I have it now.
I have been experiencing the same symptoms for 2 months now. They first suspected stroke (i'm only 25 yrs old)./.. then they thought MS... i have done, 2 CT's, an MRI, EKG, CT Angiogram and Spinal tap (that hurt)... and everything is coming up negative. i have numbness, tingling, weakness, and paralization in my left side. It comes to a point where my speech is affected.. the words just don't come out!
All doctors I have seen (there is alot of them) all jsut look at me ans say 'I have no idea what is wrong with me' then they prescribe me more medication. ... i don't take any the meds till i get a dx... Its so frustrating, its interferring with my life and work... i'm jsut not normal again...
if anyone knows what's going on..please help me!
All doctors I have seen (there is alot of them) all jsut look at me ans say 'I have no idea what is wrong with me' then they prescribe me more medication. ... i don't take any the meds till i get a dx... Its so frustrating, its interferring with my life and work... i'm jsut not normal again...
if anyone knows what's going on..please help me!
i've been reading all your concerns and i'm totally with you. i've had it for about 2years now. it comes and goes. i'm 32y/o male. i had blood tests and all came out normal. i just noticed that when i'm too stressed out, my left face turns numb. i can feel "ants marching" left side of the face, left forearm and left leg. i've been doing stretches on my neck and back hoping that it'll be relieved. sometimes it does but not 100%. i just noticed that when i'm on vacation, those tingling sensation do not come out..especially when i have a 7-8hr sleep. so, is it stress? i was thinking that it may be psychosomatic...i'm not sure. right now, i've been stressed out lately because of work and the house so it's been coming out lately. i'm tired of this too..i just hope that it's all stress...
i came across this polycythemia vera which imitates all the symptoms (tingling, chest pain, numbness) but my rbc(red blood cells), hct(hematocrit), hemoglobin are all normal. it is a disease causing an overproduction of your rbcs...making your blood more viscous and triples your chances of heart attack and stroke..check your latest rbc. MS, GBS, polyneuropathy, stroke, tia,.
right now, i'm going to try yoga to relieve stress. i just want to let you know that you guys are not alone. let's work hand in hand and find out what's causing all these abnormal symptoms with negative lab works.
i came across this polycythemia vera which imitates all the symptoms (tingling, chest pain, numbness) but my rbc(red blood cells), hct(hematocrit), hemoglobin are all normal. it is a disease causing an overproduction of your rbcs...making your blood more viscous and triples your chances of heart attack and stroke..check your latest rbc. MS, GBS, polyneuropathy, stroke, tia,.
right now, i'm going to try yoga to relieve stress. i just want to let you know that you guys are not alone. let's work hand in hand and find out what's causing all these abnormal symptoms with negative lab works.
hi
two yrs ago i started having back pain, took all kind of drugs, one year later my left arm not swing while walking then noticed that my body is tilted to the right six month ago i started to limb on my left leg and draging it ..i did ct`s at first they said it is small strok then did mri dx rolled it out one dx said it could be parkinson ather said mnd so i do not know what to do
two yrs ago i started having back pain, took all kind of drugs, one year later my left arm not swing while walking then noticed that my body is tilted to the right six month ago i started to limb on my left leg and draging it ..i did ct`s at first they said it is small strok then did mri dx rolled it out one dx said it could be parkinson ather said mnd so i do not know what to do
Hello, I have numbness in left leg and arm as well as twitching all over the body which sounds similar. Good luck to you, I live in Thailand they did 2 brain scans and said I have a brain normality they have put me on anti-depressants the last month which haven't none anything. Not sure anyone can reccomend any drugs that may help I think living here they don't have everything teh western world has.
thanks
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thanks
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The left side of my face has been numb for over three years now..I know when I take xanax the numbness almost totally goes away. I think this is all stress related. I'm almost fifty now and this happened to me when I was in my thirties and going through a divorce..Saw a top neurologist and he said migraine related..Hmm maybe so but I think it's all stress. Got through with divorce and face came back until three years ago. I think I'm learning to live with it now. Anyone else out there like me?
Well I have experienced facial numbing just today. It was definitely scary and I immediately got on the computer and I found this forum...Well I was at work and I had a caramel candy. I have a cavity on my bottom molar towards the back and a piece of caramel got into my cavity. So of course I immediately had some pain so I went to the bathroom to try to clear the cavity of the candy. All of a sudden the tip of my tongue started tingling. Seconds later the tingling started to spread towards the back of my tongue. I just thought of the worst case scenario. I was on the edge of having a panic attack because I thought it was going to continue towards my throat and like suffocate me however that was not the case. The tingling spread into my gums and teeth and few seconds later my lips and cheek. The tingling turned into numbness, however, the numbness only occurred on the left side of my face. Naturally now I was thinking it was a stroke. After about 10 minutes the numbness was gradually subsiding and was going into my left hand. I couldnt feel my fingers and that lasted for about 10 minutes also. After that the numbness disappeared completely. I called a friend who is in nursing school. She attempted to give me medical advice and said that I could have hit a dental nerve or it could have been a neurological problem and having something to do with my nerves. I am going to a dentist on February 1st just to see if it is dental related and Im still debating whether I should go tonight to see a doctor. I dont have medical insurance so that's whats holding me back. If anyone has any suggestions or comments please post. Thanks.
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